Broken Hill council looks to outsource aged care village

The management and operation of Broken Hill's Shorty O'Neil aged care village is likely to be outsourced.

The retirement village and hospice is currently owned and run by the Broken Hill City Council.

At a committee meeting this week, councillors voted to look at calling for expressions of interest to run the village, subject to a vote at the full council meeting next Wednesday.

Mayor Wincen Cuy says outsourcing the services could save the council money.

"We believe there's a greater opportunity for the public and the community to get greater services and also we're hoping that it will be more cost effective for council to operate in that manner," he said.

Mayor Wincen Cuy says all expressions of interest will be looked at both on cost and on the values of the organisation, similar to what was done with the YMCA taking over operations of the Broken Hill Regional Aquatic Centre.

"What we have to do is look at every proposal and take everything into consideration," he said.

"It'll be the residents the priority, the staff's interests and also the interests of the community."

Staff and residents were told about the plan yesterday.

In a letter to residents, the council's acting General Manager, Peter Oldsen, says there'll be no immediate changes.

"Residents are advised that strategies will be implemented to ensure that current living and care arrangements continue throughout this process," he said.

The secretary of the Broken Hill Town Employees Union, Ros Ferry, says she is concerned the move will lead to job cuts.

"Staff wages are probably the most expensive of any employer, so naturally they would look to reduce wages," she said.

"They can't reduce them beyond what the current rate is, for the duration of the current agreement that those employees are on, but they can reduce them by reducing staff numbers, and having people work perhaps longer shifts, changing shift penalty times, things like that."